A joyous community of Jewish women engaged in prayer,
study, and spiritual growth
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Our next service will be Saturday, November 4
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A Service of Gratitude and Blessing
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Now is the time to remember our heritage through the commemoration on Nov. 9 of
Kristallnacht
and to be profoundly grateful during the Thanksgiving holiday for the blessings and gifts that we have, because we live in America.
We have been overwhelmed with natural disasters – fires here in California, hurricanes and other events all over the world. There are wars and upheavals, Catalonia wants its independence and Syria might be taken over by Russia and Iran. We live in confusing and frightening times.
Yet, November is the month to remember. It was worse, and could still be worse! We are grateful to live in America, and Thanksgiving is the time to count our blessings.
Join us at Lev Eisha on Saturday November 4
th
for a service of Gratitude and Blessing. We are so thankful for each other, and the love and support we share at our heartfelt Shabbat services. See you there!
Services begin promptly at 9:30 am, led by Rabbi August and Cantorial Soloist Cindy Paley. Be sure and stay for our delicious Kiddish luncheon immediately following services, sponsored by
Jackie Goldfield, in memory of her father, Henry, in honor of her mother, Jean's 94th birthday; her own 64th birthday, and brother Robert's extended visit in L.A. Susie Yure is co-sponsoring in honor of her birthday.
To accommodate guests with allergies, please refrain from wearing scents.
Sponsors are needed for the December - June Kiddushim and for our remaining 4 annual breakfasts. Please contact our catering chairperson, Lynn Beliak, at
catering@leveisha.org
. You may pick up envelopes and catering forms on the tables in the social hall or you can find them on the table when you enter the synagogue. We look forward to sharing your simchas at Lev Eisha.
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New Paths & New Experiences
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Are you ready to join your Lev Eisha sisters for a new and different kind of weekend? For our Chai year, our annual Lev Eisha Women’s Weekend Retreat, January 26-28, 2018, will be held at Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino. It will feature our traditional welcome/introduction, Friday night Shabbat service, and a delicious Shabbat meal.
Our Shabbat morning services are followed by lunch and a new and different afternoon filled with meditation, art, and gentle introspection led by Chantel Zimmerman, who is a motivational coach and workshop facilitator. After dinner, we will be entertained by “Nevenka,” an LA based folk chorus performing music of Eastern Europe.
Sunday, after breakfast, we will participate in a Tu B’Shevat Sedar led by Rabbi August and Cindy. This promises to be a memorable weekend of music, self-discovery, and retreat from our hectic everyday lives. Invite family and friends to join us!
Visit our website
HERE
to register OR you can download the registration form
HERE
and mail with your check to Lev Eisha, 10736 Jefferson Blvd., #706, Culver City, CA 90230.
We hope to see you in January!
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Our membership continues to grow - we made it to the 100 mark and more!
Welcome back to the following renewing members, and welcome to those who have joined us this month:
Franklin, Levi and Suzanne Buckholtz
Jackie Goldfield
Karen Golden
Sheryl Katzovitz
Annette Levey
Shirley Lowy
Laurie Samson
Elaine Craig Segal
If you haven't renewed your membership for our Chai year, there are 3 ways you can join us: 1) yisit the website,
leveisha.org and join online; 2) return the membership application that was mailed to you this summer; or 3) pick up an application on either our membership table or on the kiddush tables at the October service.
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Thank you to the following generous donors:
- Joan Grossman made a donation to Wendy and David Aleman in honor of their son's engagement
- Sandra Pasik made a donation because "it was so nice to have lunch at Lev Eisha for Sukkot!"
- Barbara Brown - Mazel Tov to Rose & Ron Ziff on the engagement of their daughter Maddie to Ethan Friedman
- Laurie Samson
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Our 100th Member - A Lev Star
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Congratulations to Shirley Lowy, a long-time supporter of Lev Eisha, who is our 100th member! Shirley will receive a gift from Lev Eisha and an honor at our December service.
You haven't joined yet? It's not too late. And what a deal - for $9/month you get 10 delicious kiddush lunches, 5 breakfasts during the year, compelling teachings by Rabbi August, inspiring music by Cindy Paley, and more! Click
HERE
to join!
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Columbus Day, Kristallnacht and Thanksgiving
Recently, the
Los Angeles City Council
voted to eliminate Columbus Day from the city calendar, siding with activists who view the explorer as a symbol of genocide for native peoples in North America. Over the objections of Italian American civic groups, the council made the second Monday in October a day in L.A. to commemorate “indigenous, aboriginal and native people.” It replaces a holiday that served as a touchstone for Italian Americans, marking the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean.
The LA Times wrote, “Italian Americans voiced anguish over the
proposal
, telling council members it would erase a portion of their heritage. Some said they supported the creation of Indigenous Peoples Day as long as it is held on a different date. “
On behalf of the Italian community, we want to celebrate with you,
” said Ann Potenza, president of Federated Italo-Americans of Southern California, speaking in a room packed with Native American activists. “
We just don’t want it to be at the expense of Columbus Day.”
I can relate to the concern of the Italian Americans and their worry that eliminating Columbus Day would “erase a portion of their heritage.” As Jews, we strive to keep our heritage known and we still create new holidays or times for commemoration to remember our past.
One of these times to remember occurs this month.
Kristallnacht,
” literally “the night of the shattered glass,” is Thursday, November 9
th
. Observing this day as the beginning of events that led to the Holocaust began in the 1960’s. Some temples and federations offer a service and a speaker, but as time goes by, this observance is usually overlooked as we focus on our upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations.
Commemorating the early events of the Holocaust is vital to our Jewish identity and preserves our heritage, just as it is essential, as Americans, to celebrate the holidays of Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. Why do I think this is essential?
Thanksgiving is transmitted to us through the comfortable myth of peaceful cooperation between the early Puritans and Native Americans. This was not, in fact, the truth of our history, which was more about conquering and decimating the Indian population by outright killing or by spreading diseases common in Europe, such as smallpox.
In 1898, when the federal government declared the last Thursday in November as the legal holiday of Thanksgiving, we were a society of immigrants in search of a “foundation narrative.” What is most important is the theme of the holiday; we stress the lessons of tolerance and mutual respect for other people. This is a type of
Tikkun,
a “fixing” of the past.
We live in one of the safest and most abundant places in the world and take the time at Thanksgiving to count our blessings and acknowledge the gift of living in America.
The commemoration of
Kristallnacht
points to the dramatic change in our self perception as Jews. We do not feel vulnerable and defenseless in America. Looting and vandalizing stores owned by Jews is not allowed in our country. Burning down synagogues is an act punishable by the government. As citizens, regardless of our faith, we have rights and are protected. As Jews, we also feel existentially secure, knowing, that as a last resort, we have the State of Israel as a haven if we need to flee our homes.
November represents the historical transformation from the crushing anti-Semitic, murderous hatred of
Kristallnacht
,
to our participation in the American tradition of tolerance and civility under the protection of a democratic lawful society.
Please take the time to remember where we have come from, what we cherish, and what we must do to protect what we have. We don’t want to lose
Kristallnacht
, like the Italians lost Columbus Day. Let us make time to remember, appreciate its significance, and be profoundly grateful for what we have.
May we count our blessings together, as women of Lev Eisha, with health and joy, and we say Amen.
Rabbi Toba August
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If You Missed Rabbis' Sermon Last Month...
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You can now listen to Rabbi's sermons and share them with friends and family. Click
HERE
to listen to October's teaching!
If you would like to sponsor one of these monthly recordings, please consider making a donation of $100 to Lev Eisha. This is the cost for us to record and post the sermons. Donors will be acknowledged on our Lev Eisha website as well as in our monthly seat flyer and Newsletter.
Please help Lev Eisha reach out to our community! Online donations can be made
HERE
, or you can mail your check to Lev Eisha,
10736 Jefferson Blvd # 706, Culver City, CA 90230
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2017-2018 Board of Directors
Co-Presidents: Janis Cohen & Barbara Brown
Treasurer: Ruth Grossman
Secretary: Wendy Aleman
Membership: Robin Winston
Catering: Lynn Beliak
Ritual: Judy Fishman
Hospitality: Joan Spiegel
Newsletter: Rose Ziff
Outreach: Gail Heim
Women's Retreat: Linda Zweig
Past President: Susie Yuré
Advisory Council
Rachelle Neshkes
Holly Zucker
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Lev Eisha Shabbat Services are held at Beth Shir Shalom
1827 California Ave. Santa Monica, 90403
Directions:
To Beth Shir Shalom
Take the 405 Fwy North or South to the 10 Fwy Westbound.
Exit the 10 Fwy at Cloverfield/26th Street
Turn right onto Cloverfield.
Turn left at Colorado.
Turn right onto 20th Street. Continue straight, past Wilshire, one block, to California.
Turn left onto California Avenue. Go 1-1/2 blocks. Beth Shir Shalom will be on the right.
To parking lot
Follow above directions to get to 20th Street and turn right.
Turn right at Wilshire.
Parking lot will be on the right behind the V Lounge, across the street from the Veggie Grill. (See map below)
LOOK FOR THE PURPLE BALLOONS!
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